Recent technological innovations are turning the home computer into a multimedia center. For example, the WINDOWS® XP® MEDIA CENTER EDITION 2005™ platform or operating system (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.) enables users to enjoy entertainment, personal productivity, and creativity on a personal computer in an easy, complete, and connected way. This operating system includes features that allow a user to store, share, and enjoy photos, music, video, and recorded TV via a personal computer. In essence, such features create a so-called media center personal computer (PC). Media center PCs represent the evolution of PCs into digital media hubs that bring together entertainment choices. A media center PC with the WINDOWS® XP® MEDIA CENTER EDITION 2005™ operating system can even be accessed or controlled using a single remote control.
With respect to use of a remote control for input, the user experience differs in many ways when compared to the user experience associated with input via a keyboard and a mouse. Thus, a user interface and associated input methods typically associated with a 2′ context may not provide the user with a good experience when implemented in a “10′ context”, i.e., where input is via a remote control. Indeed, use of a UI and associated methods developed for a 2′ context, when used in a 10′ context, may deter use.
In general, a user's visual experience in the 10′ context is in many ways more critical than in the 2′ context. The 2' context is more akin to reading a book (i.e., “normal” text and image presentation) and being able to point at the text or images with your finger while the 10′ context is more akin to watching TV, where a remote control is aimed at a device, where viewing habits for users are quite varied and where viewers are more accustomed to viewing images, single words or short phrases, as opposed to lines of text. Without a doubt, the advent of the 10′ context has raised new issues in the development of user interfaces and applications for use in such a context.
As described herein, various exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., aim to improve a user's experience outside of the 2′ context or in instances where a user must navigate a plurality of graphical user interfaces. Various exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., pertain to establishing or managing relationships between applications and host system where the host system may be suited for use in the 10′ context.